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Transat A.T. Inc. today ranks among the largest integrated tourism companies in the world. The company was officially created in April 1987, when the tour operator Trafic Voyages – founded in the early 1980s by Jean-Marc Eustache, Philippe Sureau, and Lina De Cesare – started its own airline, Air Transat, and adopted a vertical integration strategy based on a European model. The same year, the company gave itself the means to realize its aspirations through an initial public offering: Transat and Air Transat were thus created simultaneously. The vacation travel specialist Air Transat, Canada’s leading chartered vacation carrier, made its inaugural flight on November 14, 1987, from Montreal to Acapulco. Air Transat began to take shape at the end of 1986 when Trafic Voyages formed an association with a group of former employees of Quebecair after the Quebec government disposed of its interest in the airline. The ensuing months were devoted to building a fleet and hiring personnel. In 1993, the disappearance of the Nationair airline provided Air Transat with the opportunity to secure a maintenance base and increase its fleet substantially. Today, Air Transat carries more than 2.5 million passengers annually. In 1987, Transat acquired Voyages Multitour, a sun destination specialist and logical complement to Trafic Voyages’ European focus. The two tour operators then merged to form Transat Holidays. From 1988 on, other acquisitions enabled Transat to pursue its strategy of vertical integration and growth. These included more tour operators. In 1996, Transat strengthened its presence in France with the acquisition of the tour operator Look Voyages, joining Vacances Air Transat (France), present in France since 1985. Beginning in 1995, the Company’s integration strategy also enabled it to increase its presence as an incoming tour operator, especially in Canada (Jonview – Kilomètre Voyages), as well as in Greece (Tourgreece), Mexico (Trafic Tours) and the Dominican Republic (Turissimo). In the same spirit of integration, Transat gradually expanded its activities to destination services, including excursions, by developing closer relationships with companies such as Tourgreece in Athens (a longstanding partner), Air Consultants Europe in the Netherlands, and Trafic Tours in Mexico. Integration also involved penetration of the distribution sector, starting in 1988. Following its acquisition of several travel agency networks, Transat is now Canada’s leading retail distributor of holiday travel, operating some 430 agencies under the Club Voyages, Voyages en Liberté, TravelPlus and Marlin Travel banners, along with tripcentral.ca agencies and the exit.ca online agency. In France, Transat operates about 70 agencies under the Look Voyages and Club Voyages banners. Transat today Transat has a dedicated team of thorough and efficient professionals who deliver quality holiday travel at affordable prices to a huge customer base. Already the leader in Canada, Transat seeks to maintain its position as a major player in the holiday travel industry in North America and Europe by continuing to make travellers its number one priority. See Transat's organizational structure.
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